Does God send people to hell eternally just because they were born in the wrong place at the wrong time?
God has a different standard for judging those who do not hear about him and Paul outlines that response in Romans.
The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. Romans 1:18-20
Romans 1:18-20 begins the discussion. God has made Himself clear to us through His CREATION. His invisible qualities, eternal power and divine nature are clearly seen.
Just like us today, the ancients looked at creation and said, “Where did this all come from?” The complexity of a flower and the vastness of space has always made one wonder who was behind the formation of this world. Creation forces us to look outside ourselves and into a spiritual realm. It’s the reason there is such a battle over teaching evolution or creationism. The world knows that if we look to creation we will find God.
For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.) Romans 2:13-15
In Romans 2, Paul talks about the Gentiles, those who lived around the Jews, but never received the law and the commandments. He says that the Gentiles (and the African-South American-Tibetan-Aborigine) have in their HEARTS the law of God, because God made them and installed the law into their hearts. All people understand that killing, betrayal, lying and stealing are all bad. These are the basic components of the Ten Commandments.
Those who never hear the Gospel are judged on how closely they followed the law on their hearts. This, combined with the powerful testimony of God in creation, should guide people to an understanding—to the best of their ability—of God.
We are only judged on the information we received and whether we accepted it or rejected it. That seems entirely fair.
